No. 6.
Mr. Commissioner Johnson to the Chief Land Commissioner.

I have the honor to report that I have returned from Waikato, where I had gone to quiet the opposition raised by some Natives to the survey of the Tirikohua Block, which was finally purchased by Mr. Ligar, through my agency, in the year 1853.

Two parties of Natives have now arisen, claiming compensation for having been overlooked in the payment made in 1853, although they both were represented at the final meeting by their relatives respectively, by whose joint hands the money was actually received, after having been paid in the manner they wished.

Haimona, of Tuhi Mata, and Ruka, a Native of Waikato, claiming one portion of the block about the centre; and Pikiho, the eastern side next Pokeno. The latter party having expressed themselves ready to come to any decision the former agreed to, my negotiations were carried on with them.

Several schemes were suggested and sought to be worked out, by which a sum of money could be obtained without the bad precedent of having to pay for the land in question for the third time. At length, on Thursday evening, while on the spot, an arrangement was made by which the Natives generally who sold the land agreed to give up a small portion—about 200 or 300 acres adjoining; and in lieu of which £30 was to be paid to Haimona and £30 to Pikiho.

Assuming that these arrangements would be definitely carried out, the surveyor was cutting the lines and the survey actively progressing on Friday, when I left the spot on my return homewards. That evening we slept at Tuhimata (Haimona's place), when, to my astonishment, this man pretended not to understand that any arrangement had been come to the previous evening, and said that without a further sum he could not satisfy the claims of his friend Ruka. That even this should not be an obstacle to the final settlement of this vexatious question, I gave in a further sum of £30 for Ruka, making in all a sum of £100, an equal amount to the share of their hapu at the former purchase; and after much discussion this point was finally carried, and I congratulated myself on the matter being settled.

I was, however, followed by Haimona on the road home, when a further sum of £50 was demanded, accompanied with a threat of molesting the survey party and sending them back to town.

Having no guarantee that this demand, if conceded, would not be treated in the same way, I decided on telling these Natives that the fairest terms had been offered them, and that if they committed any act of violence the law would be carried out. One of these Natives, named Piripi Toaika, is involved in inextricable pecuniary difficulties, and as a last resource of obtaining money is endeavouring to procure these sums by intimidation; and as having been the agent appointed to transact the sale formerly, his conduct is particularly base in this latter transaction.

Having done all in my power, I would recommend no farther concession, but that a firm passive resistance be made to these unrighteous demands for money on the part of the Natives, quite out of proportion to any amount they would have been entitled to at the former division had they been present, or else the Government must be prepared to see similar claims set up over the whole of the outlying blocks in the province.

I would now finally suggest that a kind letter be written to Haimona, requesting him, conjointly with Ruka and Pikiho, to come to town and endeavour to settle their differences with Mr. McLean; and that, with a view to impress the Native mind with an idea of the possible result of any outrage on the survey party, I would recommend a firm letter being sent out by the hands of a policeman to Piripi Toaika, warning him that if any of the former sellers are so base and dishonorable as to molest the survey party, the law will be carried out against them. In the meantime the survey is rapidly going forward, and I hope that the declaration of the Natives will turn out to be mere threats, as I have good reason to believe they are.